Track & Field Competes has Strong Showing this Weekend

Apr 22, 2012

Providence, RI- The Brown University track & field team competed at Princeton's Larry Ellis Memorial Invitational, the University of Florida's Tom Jones Memorial Invitational, and MIT's Spring Invitational over the weekend.

"Both Jeff (Bush) and Brendan (Boyle) raced well and set nice PRs in the steeplechase," added Springfield.

In the 400m dash, Samuel Howard earned 34th with a 49.86. Daniel Smith placed eighth in the shot put with a 53-07.50 distance and 20th in the discus with a 143-03.

"Dan Smith started the first flight of the shot with a big throw that carried him to the finals against a very strong field.," added Baker. "He followed that up with another solid first throw in the finals. He was active in making adjustments and looks ready for a good series of throws in the coming weeks."

Rosie Fleming led the Bears with a fifth place finish in the 800-meter run coming in at 2:13.05, and teammate Megan Palmer followed right behind with a 2:13.94 for sixth. Also, Bree Shugarts placed ninth (2:14.56) and Sasha Teninty came in 13th (2:15.05).

Shugarts also earned 31st in the 1,500m run (4:33.66), while Elaine Kuckertz finished 36th overall in the 5,000-meter run with a 17:24.48 to round out the top runners at Princeton.

"I thought Bree (Shugarts) raced well in the 1,500m off a slow early pace," said women's distance coach Mitchell Baker. "She's only contested the distance a few times, so she's learning a lot every time out."

In the field, Jessica Eason tossed a 41-01.75m shot put to finish 15th, and Heather Vermillion placed 21st with a 40-02.00. Vermillion also earned a 17th place finish in the hammer throw with a 166-00.

"For our student-athletes and members of the staff to meet Brown's next president, Christina Hull Paxson, was a special opportunity," said Director of Track & Field Michelle Eisenreich. "We're thankful as a team, staff and department that she took the time to join us for breakfast before the competition on Saturday and to catch a bit of the action in her new school colors."

"Our student-athletes enjoyed sharing with Ms. Paxson some background on their academics and their primary events in track and field," Eisenreich said. "We are thrilled she's joining the Brown community in the coming months"

TOM JONES MEMORIAL:

John Spooney placed 16th in the 100m dash crossing the finish line with his PR of 10.65 seconds, and also placed 16th in the 200m dash just off his PR with a 21.41. Michael Bieszard earned a 183-07 distance in the javelin throw to finish third.

"The javelin throwers showed some progress from previous competitions and we're seeing the good work from training being put into place," Eisenreich said. "I think this group of athletes is ready for big things in the next two weeks."

For the women, Lacey Craker captured the hammer throw title with a 178-02m throw, and also placed sixth in the discus with a 144-08m distance.

"This was definitely a successful trip for our sprinters, hurdlers and throwers," said Eisenreich. "I thought everyone competed well, especially given some delays around inclement weather."

"I thought Craker really showed progress in her hammer throw," added Eisenreich. "To pick up a win at a meet of this caliber is never something to take lightly. She's throwing well and we're excited for the coming weeks when she's more rested from training."

In the javelin, sophomore Niina Al-Hassan earned second with a 137-03m distance, while Susan Scavone captured fifth place in the 100m hurdles (14:30) and Jordan DeLoach came in eighth with a huge personal record of 14.71.

"DeLoach has been a very pleasant addition to the sprint group. We knew she had ability, but the drop down to 14.15 in the 100-meter hurdles when she didn't break 15-seconds in high school, is really giving the group some momentum. The tandem she's forming with co-captain Scavone is an exciting wrinkle to our strength heading towards Heps.

In the 200m dash, Colby Lubman finished 18th with a 24.89 and Lauren Waterbury came in 21st with a 25.03. Lubman also finished sixth in the 400m dash with a big personal record of 54.46, and Waterbury placed seventh with a 54.51. Alexandra Stanton improved her college PR in the 400m hurdles with a 1:00.23 to earn fifth.

"Lubman really put together a great race in the 400-meters.," said Eisenreich. "To have her close the gap to Waterbury, who also PR'd, and run into the 54-second range really bolsters our sprint group. These are fantastic performances against national-class fields, some of whom compete professionally. For those two to come back and run just under or at 25-seconds shows the type of strength that they're gaining working with Coach Mangiacotti."

MIT SPRING INVITATIONAL:

Freshman Peter Rhodes captured the 110m hurdles title with a 14.93, and was followed by Hunter Warwick in second (15.26), Arjun Pande in third (15.38) and Evan Weinstock in fourth (15.46). Weinstock also placed fourth in the 200m dash with a 22.43, and Ajani Brown earned seventh with a 22.79. Brown also placed third in the 400m dash with a 50.25.

"I think the men multis - Rhodes and Weinstock - are ready for a full decathlon at the Heptagonal Championships after their showing at MIT and their training this past month," said jumps/multis coach Reuben Jones.

In the discus throw, freshman Courtland Clavette won the event with a 165-00 toss and Matthew Miller finished fifth with a 146-00. In the high jump, Peter Rhodes finished fourth with a 6-05.00 height, and Evan Weinstock earned fourth in the long jump with a 21-11.75 distance. Miller also competed in the shot put, where he finished fourth with a 45-07.25.

"It was great to see Courtland throw well," added Jones. "He had thrown 44.63-meters coming into the meet at MIT, and today he threw 50.30m. To throw nearly a 6-meter PR is outstanding, nearly unheard of, and is a testament to the good work he's been putting in during practice. Coming off the football season, we knew he was capable of picking up the college-weight discus, but we didn't know how quickly it would come together. His improvement at this time in the year is a boost to the program."

For the women, Efe Cudjoe placed fourth in the 200m dash with a 26.36, and freshman Kayla Tyrrell earned eighth (27.07). Tyrrell earned second in the 400m dash with a 59.23, and Cudjoe came in third (59.47).

In the high jump, Jocelyn West earned third (5-01.00), and Hannah Wallace finished second in the pole vault (11-11.75). Hanna McPhee followed close behind Wallace with a fourth place finish in the pole vault with a personal record of 11-05.75.

Brienna Crimmins earned the long jump title for the Bears with a 17-04.75 and Jara Crear placed third in the 16-11.25.